


Fair Warning

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Home [8]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Missing Scene, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Bones knows Jim even better than Jim knows himself. </p><p>***Spoilers for "Star Trek: Beyond."***</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fair Warning

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授权翻译】公平的警告/Fair Warning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14115201) by [Atenea_atena_athena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atenea_atena_athena/pseuds/Atenea_atena_athena)
  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授权翻译】公平的警告/Fair Warning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14115201) by [Atenea_atena_athena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atenea_atena_athena/pseuds/Atenea_atena_athena)



> This is set right after the end of "Star Trek: Beyond." (A fantastic movie, by the way. Go watch it.) Naturally, there are spoilers.

It had been a good party. Len hadn't seen Jim get that distant look in his eye that he usually did anytime anyone mentioned his birthday, and he'd been keeping a close enough watch he would have noticed. Spock had gotten misty-eyed for a few moments, but that was to be expected, and Jim had swooped in at just the right moment to distract him. Even better, that careful non-exchange they'd both had – not to mention the fact that Nyota was looking considerably more cheerful – suggested that Spock wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

Len's little family were all right where they should be.

The most important member of that family slipped out of his jacket, dropping it on the chair by the bedroom door. "That _was_ pretty fun," Jim murmured, sounding pleased and faintly surprised. He should have learned by now never to doubt Len. "And Spock and Uhura looked like they were getting along better. Think he's given up worrying about those little mostly-Vulcan babies?"

"Babies?" Hanging up his own jacket like a responsible adult, Len turned in surprise. He could have sworn Jim hadn't known about... No, wait. From the sound of it, the babies had come up before the leaving had. That he knew about one didn't mean that he knew about the other. "How did you find out about that?"

"Uhura told me." Jim sat down on the foot of the bed, taking off his boots. Noticing the fact that Len hadn't lost his surprised look, he grinned. "You know how you and Spock love to commiserate about how much trouble I am? Uhura and I do the same thing about Spock." The smile disappeared. "She was pretty torn up about it. I told her she should argue with him harder, but she said that if that was really what he felt like he needed to do she didn't want to stand in his way." He paused. "I'm glad they seem to be working it out."

"It's good you approve of arguing," Len said, voice deliberately casual. "Because that means you'll agree with my decision to yell at you for applying for a _vice admiralship_ without telling me."

Jim winced. "Did Commodore Paris talk to you?"

It had, in fact, been a friend and former patient who worked in her office, pleased by the prospect that Len might be moving to the station. "I have my sources." He folded his arms across his chest. "That source, however, should have been _you_."

"I know. I'm sorry." Jim sighed, looking suitably apologetic. "Does it help at all that I withdrew the application?"

"Not really." Len said wryly, leaning back against the wall. He'd learned from experience that staying out of touching distance would be good if he wanted to actually finish talking this out. "I knew you'd come to your senses before our five years were up. I just wanted to know how you got such a damn fool idea in the first place."

Now it was Jim who raised his eyebrows. "You're telling me you wouldn't enjoy being stationed on the ground? Even if that ground was on a space station?"

He would have preferred actual ground, the kind attached to a proper planet, but he had to admit that even the fake sky and trees were easier on the eyes than the Death Void where he spent most his time. None of that, however, was the point. "If you try to tell me you were doing it for me," Len warned, "I will come over there and kick your ass. Love of my life or not."

Jim's lips quirked, then he shook his head. "No." He dropped backwards, flopping back down on the bed. "But I kind of thought you wouldn't argue if I gave you land again."

Len moved closer so he could still make eye contact with Jim. "You can bet your ripped shirts I would have argued." This wasn't like whatever obligation Spock felt to New Vulcan or the memory of Ambassador Spock. He might be physically safer – at least until his restlessness caused him to do something stupid – but Jim taking a desk job would be only bad for him in the long run. "Even if you were too dumb to realize how unhappy it would have made you, I'm not."

When you loved a bird, you didn't try to clip its wings. And you sure as hell didn't let him do the damn job himself.

Jim's lips curved upward a little more, and he reached up enough to grab Len's hand and yank him down. Len, exasperated, rolled off him and to the side, but he didn't get back up again. "I don't mind that bet," Jim said, lifting Len's hand to his lips. "You can have all my ripped shirts."

"You know," Len grumbled, "you're not nearly as charming as you think you are."

"As long as I manage to charm you, that's more than enough." But his expression sobered as he turned to meet Len's eyes. "I thought for a little while that I didn't love it anymore," he said quietly. "I knew it wasn't fair to keep you out there if I didn't love it."  

Len's chest ached. "Ah, Jim," he sighed. "You should have told me."

This time, Jim's smile was gentle. "You picked up on most of it." He squeezed Len's hand, laying their joined hands against his chest. "But I'm okay now. I remembered why I love it out there."

There was no "reassuring the crew" confidence in his voice, only simple honesty. At the moment, it was surprisingly comforting. "Only you would find thwarting a deadly alien super weapon to be therapeutic."

The glint came back in Jim's eye. He knew he was forgiven. "What can I say? I'm a man of simple pleasures." He rolled until he was looking down at Len, arms braced alongside him. "Or complicated ones, if they happen to be you."

Len stopped the impending kiss with a hand against Jim's chest. "No more not telling me things," he warned. "Whatever dumb idea you have, I want to hear about it. Even if it's going to piss me off."

Jim hesitated, looking like he was giving the matter some real thought. "I want an exception for last-minute Hail Marys in the face of impossible odds."

Well, at least he was taking it seriously. "Not a chance." If he hadn't been listening to everything that was happening in the maintenance tower, he wouldn't have known to be there in time to save Jim. "I want _every_ dumb idea."

Jim sighed. "Okay, everything. But I'll let you take back the part about the Hail Marys the moment you start regretting it."

"Not gonna happen," Len said easily, sliding the hand against Jim's chest around to his back. "Someone's gotta be there to save your ass."

The grin came back. "It's your ass, after all," Jim said, leaning closer. "Only fair that you save it."  

Len's other hand slid around Jim's back. "That is a _terrible_ pickup line. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Hey, you're the one who fell in love with me." There were only centimeters of air between their lips. "I'm going to kiss you, now. Thought I should let you know that."

With a growl, Len pulled him down and kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my new original fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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